City Cycling Culture

In recent years a global revolution has been slowly creeping into city life. Fuelled by growing environmental concerns and an associated subculture style, cycling has become the coolest, most efficient way of getting around a city. As of May 2011, there were around 375 bike sharing programs internationally meaning that there is an estimated 236,000 bikes for public use in circulation each day.

The bicycle has become more than just a means of transport, it is a representation of values, even a fashion statement, and thanks to this we have seen a growing number of businesses born out of this emerging trend. Gloobbi takes a look at some of the most innovative concepts linked to city cycle culture around the world:

1. MIKILI: This Berlin based start-up buys into the centre of the cycling lifestyle concept. Mikili produces high quality furniture for the home or the office linking style with practicality. Providing bike mounts to display your bicycle, they help turn the bike and its storage into a statement rather than impractical objects in your home.

2. Cyclodeo: Another European start-up, this time from the Netherlands, though in its early stages has us thinking about the way in which we share our cycling experiences. Cyclodeo has begun with around 150km of video footage linked with GPS data in New York City giving us a view of the world from a cyclist’s perspective, while also providing cycle routes and useful directions. Currently, Cyclodeo features New York, Copenhagen and parts of the Netherlands with the overall aim of the project to include personal submissions from other cyclists creating an online community which encourages the already burgeoning cycling culture.

3. Spoke Media: Spoke Media is an environmentally orientated project from Mike Murray, in Melbourne, with the objective of encouraging cycling commuters with financial incentives to try and reduce the amount of cars on the roads throughout the city. With sponsorship from companies wishing to advertise through Spoke Media, attachments are sent to riders who then use their bicycles as moving billboards and receive payment for their participation.

4. Bicycle Film Festival: A now well established cornerstone of cycling culture, BBF is an independent film festival that began in 2001 that currently takes place in over 50 cities worldwide. The 3-4 day festival features around 30 films linked to cycling culture, concerts and art expositions. Self-proclaimed as “a powerful and culturally relevant force.”

The nature of this growing movement with links to sustainability, style and lifestyle choices means that it is something that is surely here to last.